Who We Are

• Overview
• Client Service
• Diversity
• Pro Bono
• Community Responsibility
• Women's
  Initiative
• Culture
• Billing
  Philosophy
• Careers

Diversity

Mission Statement

One of the firm's most important priorities is to hire and promote outstanding lawyers and professional staff from the world's diverse population. We welcome people from all races, religions, cultural backgrounds, national origins, ages, disabilities, genders, and sexual orientations.

Gordon & Rees is committed to offering a dynamic, challenging environment where our team members can develop their skills and careers. By continually advancing our commitment to diversity, we will ensure that Gordon & Rees will continue to be a firm of enthusiastic and talented people who provide the best possible legal services to our clients and communities.

We believe that bringing together a world of different perspectives and life experiences is fundamental to the success of our organization.

Supporting the Diversity Pipeline Continuum

Gordon & Rees has been recognized by the Minority Law Journal and Multicultural Law Magazine for its continued progress in increasing diversity in the legal profession. One of the many ways Gordon & Rees demonstrates its commitment to diversity is through initiatives focusing on "Filling The Minority Pipeline," as a means to assure that minority and disadvantaged students enter - and continue to pursue - careers in the legal profession.

Key pipeline initiative programs include hosting a legal profession career day, where minority middle school students come to Gordon & Rees' San Francisco office; hosting a diversity reception for second-year law students in several offices; and sponsoring a law student diversity forum "Diverse Perspectives On The Keys To Success."

Recognizing that there are multiple factors that contribute to supporting a diversity pipeline, Gordon & Rees also works with other groups such as the Minority Corporate Counsel to develop and support new projects aimed at increasing and retaining minorities in the legal profession.

The Gordon & Rees Diversity Continuum

• #1 in Partner Diversity: Gordon & Rees' diversity statistics were ranked #1 in Partner Diversity and #5 in Overall Attorney Diversity in the Fall 2006 issue of MultiCultural Law magazine.
  
  
• Law Firm Diversity Award: Gordon & Rees received the prestigious "Law Firm Diversity Award" from the Defense Research Institute, the nation's largest organization of defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel.
  
  
• Multicultural Award: Gordon & Rees has received two Multicultural Heritage Awards from the San Diego Business Journal and Wells Fargo, recognizing the firm's leadership in developing, fostering and promoting diversity in the workplace and the community.
  
  
• Top Women Litigators: A Partner in our San Francisco office was selected as one of California's "Top 75 Women Litigators" by The Daily Journal.
  
  
• Featured Leader: In the Fall 2006 issue of MultiCultural Law magazine, New York office Managing Partner Mercedes Colwin was featured in the Leadership series in an interview titled "Reaching Back to Diversify the Legal Profession."
  
  
• Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business: A Partner in our San Francisco office has received two awards as one of the "Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business" from the San Francisco Business Times.
  
  
• Triple the Percentage of Minority Partners: In the Minority Law Journal's 2007 Diversity Scorecard, Gordon & Rees rose from #170 in 2005 to #73 in 2007 as a result of increasing the number of minority Partners to 9.4% from 3.6% in 2005.
  
  
• Double the Percentage of Minority Attorneys: In the Minority Law Journal's 2007 Diversity Scorecard, Gordon & Rees rose from #170 in 2005 to #73 in 2007 as a result of increasing the number of minority lawyers to 13.1% from 6.1% in 2005.
  
  
• Top 15% of Law Firms: Gordon & Rees ranked in the top 15% of the largest U.S. law firms with the highest percentage of minority Partners. (Minority Law Journal's 2008 Diversity Scorecard)
  
  
• Peak Performance: Gordon & Rees received a 2008 "Peak Performance" award from San Diego-based National University's Center for Organizational Excellence, recognizing organizations that have "the ability to sustain long-term performance that maximizes the potential of the individuals in the company as well as the overall organization."
  
  
• Featured Leader: In the 2008 issue of MultiCultural Law magazine, Houston Partner Terrence Robinson was featured in the Leadership series in an interview titled "Leading the Way with Integrity and Advocacy."
  
  
• Law Student Diversity Programs: The San Diego, San Francisco, and Orange County offices hosted the fourth annual Diversity Reception for second year law students, and the Denver office sponsored a law student diversity forum featuring Justice Alex Martinez, the first Hispanic Member of the Colorado Supreme Court.
  
  
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association Scholarship: As part of the firm's Pipeline Initiative, Gordon & Rees co-sponsored, with Palm, Inc., a Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship ($30,000) to a student at UC Berkeley Law School.
  
  
• Diversity Scorecard: Gordon & Rees rapidly advanced to #56 in 2009 from #170 in 2005 in the annual "Diversity Scorecard" compiled by the Minority Law Journal. The firm ascended to top tier rankings based on higher-than-average percentages of both minority partners and minority lawyers overall. Gordon & Rees had 13.4% minority lawyers overall, compared to the national average of 10.8%. Gordon & Rees had 10.3% minority Partners, compared to the national average of 6.3%.
  
  
• Minority Student LSAT Scholarships: As part of the firm's Pipeline Initiative, Gordon & Rees continued its grant of $2,000 stipends to two financially disadvantaged minority college students to defray the cost of LSAT preparation courses and law school application fees.
  
  
• Corporate Equality Index: Gordon & Rees scored 95 out of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index (2009 and 2010), identifying the organizations that maintain inclusive workplaces for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender employees.

Download the
Gordon & Rees
Diversity Brochure